State regulators have shut down a Plano massage school they say was cutting corners in a very big way, revoking its license and tagging it with roughly $200,000 in penalties after finding falsified training records and graduates who allegedly never got required hands-on practice.
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) pulled the license for the Wellness Education Center in Plano, concluded that the school turned in fake academic and internship records, and said students were allowed to graduate without the in-person clinical work the state requires. Three people tied to the program also had their massage licenses suspended, and the school’s owner was hit with a lifetime ban from the massage industry in Texas, according to state materials.
State order cites falsified records
TDLR issued an emergency order in October that immediately closed the Wellness Education Center after investigators said they discovered falsified academic and internship records submitted with applicants’ massage license filings, according to TDLR.
“Massage schools are expected to uphold rigorous educational standards to ultimately protect the health and safety of Texas consumers,” TDLR Executive Director Courtney Arbour said in the release.
Penalties, settlement and student reports
As reported by News 4 San Antonio, the department assessed an additional $200,000 in administrative penalties and noted that the Wellness Education Center had told regulators it had graduated more than 300 students.
According to that reporting, a recent graduate told investigators she completed the program without ever taking an in-person class, which could run afoul of state training requirements. The school’s owner, Xiuzhen Sun, denied wrongdoing but agreed to the license revocation and to a lifetime ban from working in the massage industry in Texas as part of a settlement.
School location and alleged ties to illicit businesses
The Wellness Education Center operated near West Parker Road and US 75 at 301 W. Parker Road, Ste. 104, Community Impact reported.
Local coverage has echoed TDLR’s findings that many of the school’s graduates went on to work at illicit massage businesses. Investigators also identified a frequent visitor to the school who had previously been the subject of emergency license suspension orders tied to suspected human trafficking, according to The Gilmer Mirror.
What it means for students and consumers
Texas requires a 500-hour program to qualify for an initial massage license, and state rules limit distance learning so that students still log at least 250 hours of in-person instruction, including hands-on technique work and a clinic internship, according to TDLR.
When schools fail to meet those standards or falsify records, the agency can revoke licenses, levy fines and impose industry bans. Those enforcement tools are meant to protect consumers and to push operators tied to illicit activity out of the marketplace.
Students who trained at the Wellness Education Center and clients who received services there are advised to keep copies of any transcripts, certificates or receipts and to contact TDLR’s licensing division with questions about next steps or the status of a credential. This story will be updated as additional documents or official comments are released.
